The return of the Command Line – Mozilla Labs’ Ubiquity
The command line interface is making a comeback! Some say it never left. I never liked them, since they required you to memorize a strict lexicon of cryptic commands, but for certain tasks, they are efficient and powerful. Enter the new generation which eschew formalist structure in favor of “natural language” commands.
For desktop integration, there is Enso for the PC and Quicksilver for the Mac. Enter Mozilla Labs’ Ubiquity for the browser. It leverages existing open APIs to allow quick access to disparate web services through semi-structured text input. I can see this easily melding with the now very multi-functioned address bar in FireFox 3.x
As one who has fully embraced cmd-spacing to launch apps on the Mac (Spotlight), I welcome this interaction. It will be interesting to see how this slips into the mainstream.
Quote:
Ubiquity 0.1
* Lets you map and insert maps anywhere; translate on-page; search amazon, google, wikipedia, yahoo, youtube, etc.; digg and twitter; lookup and insert yelp review; get the weather; syntax highlight any code you find; and a lot more. Ubiquity “command list” to see them all.
* Find and install new commands to extend your browser’s vocabulary through a simple subscription mechanism.
http://labs.mozilla.com/2008/08/introducing-ubiquity/
